Why were American Front leaders' bails so low?

The accused leaders of a white supremacist group who authorities say were preparing for a race war were given low bails, while eight other accused members faced $500,000 apiece.

Marcus Faella, named as the head of the American Front, posted $50,000 bail while his wife Patricia paid just $5,000 last weekend to leave the Osceola County Jail after their arrests by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, court records show.

Meanwhile, eight young men and women arrested after a two-year undercover investigation of paramilitary training at the Faella's remote compound remain jailed. Each is held in lieu of at least $500,000, including two also held without bail on charges of violating probation, records show.

At 5 p.m. Friday, a spokeswoman for the Orange-Osceola Judicial Circuit announced Patricia Faella had been re-arrested.

"She is being arrested as we speak and bond will be re-set at $500,000," said Karen Levey.

According to Levey, Circuit Judge Walter Komanski had reviewed all of the cases and set bonds ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. After the arrests began, Judge Theotis Bronson handled the initial appearances but was unable to read some of the paperwork and was told by an assistant state attorney that "reasonable bond" was sought against Patricia Faella.

"Judge Bronson's intent was never to release her on $5,000," Levey said.

Marcus Faella's $50,000 bail appears unusually low as well, because he is accused in court records with trying to make ricin, a toxin described as a weapon of mass destruction. Faella is also accused of providing firearms and firearms training to ex-convicts in the American Front in violation of state and federal laws.

Last summer, the Faellas were accused of hosting white supremacists from across the country at their 10-acre compound in east Osceola County to train for what they believed would be an upcoming race war.

Described as a typical neo-Nazi skinhead group, the American Front is "a known domestic terrorist organization," according to court records.